Julie Ann Downy put forward her colleague Julie Page to be our nurse of the month. Read her nomination below.

Julie Page is a Team Leader and Clinical Nurse Specialist. She is an advocate for clients who are marginalised and discriminated against, working to improve the lives and health of injecting drug users and helping close the gap with Indigenous health. She deserves to be nominated for the extra care she delivers. I have many examples to share to show why she deserves recognition. I will share several examples that stand out in my time working with Julie.

I walked into the client area in my early days at the Needle and Syringe Program (NSP) to see Julie sitting on the floor washing the feet and applying skin care to a gay, HIV positive man, an injecting drug user, and an ex-prisoner with toenails larger than I have ever seen! She has done dressing on wounds for homeless people in the street while on outreach. This is what I wanted when I became a nurse to care for people who really needed it and the people she works with receive that service.

Julie is head of the nurse led hepatitis C clinic at the NSP. Recently she raced out to do an outreach and deliver food for a man on hepatitis C treatment. He was not taking his pills and as he was told to take them with food. He had no food. She cleared his virus.

Julie deserves to win an award for her service in this field, not only for the top care she delivers, but also for the example she has set for nurses and other people working with people who inject drugs.